Hi Martin. I've just now found this video, and wish I had had this kind of explanation 25-30 years ago, when I first learned to build my first guns. Back then we had no internet, all I had to go on was a single library book with a large, two page photo of a professional coil gun, and a copy of the original patent, from about the 1910's or thereabouts! I could not understand the circuitry, nor what the purpose of the capacitor was, and so I improvised. My first guns ran on Alternating Current- supplied by a tv transformer at about 15volt, 50 Hz. This translated to 3000 beats per minute, and I found that this was the ideal speed to make a solid line, without cutting the skin. The guns themselves consisted of a single winding noise reduction coil for a car stereo, (back in the days of distributor and coil ignition) mounted in a homemade frame, the spring was stainless cut and shaped from a washing machine bowl, and the binder post and contact screw simply adjusted the throw of the steel armature bar! In all, it was a reliable setup, the only failures I had were the occasional snapped spring. I made my own clipcords from a spring, some bits of plastic from an ice cream lid, some stiff wire, and a couple of small screws! My foot pedal was from a sewing machine, and my needle bars were stainless fishing trace wire, shaped with pliers!! My tubes/nozzles were stainless tube, about 8mm diameter, shaped in one piece with a kilometrico pen tip soldered into the tip (ball removed, and smoothed over, so they glided smoothly). With this setup, I could use a single beading needle to do some lovely lines. As I say, they were very reliable machines, and I could outline and shade with them, they were a great middle-of-the-road setup. I had initially tried making rotary guns, running variable DC, but I found that the sideways motion from the eye end translated to the tip of the needle, with the result that I could not get my lines thin enough. I concluded that I needed the controlled linear motion of a coil setup, to do away with this wobbling, and it worked! This brings me to my question- why do we still use DC to power coil guns? Is it because the current can be adjusted easier, is it just tradition, or application, or what? And also, does the shape of the coil make any difference to the action- i.e; length to diameter ratio? Most of the coils I see nowadays look similar- has experimentation over the years settled upon a particular coil size that compromises between power and overall size of the gun... obviously the more compact the gun, the less fatiguing it is to use. Because of the square-form coil I used in those early guns, they were a bit on the heavy side, but I just got used to it. I guess it gave me a sense of robustness... I have one of those sets of chinese guns now, (I'm getting back into tattooing a bit), but I'm not 100% happy with them- I've got a bit to learn about getting them optimized- out of 3 guns, there's only one I like, and it's the one I use the most- it just seems smooth and consistent. But again, I have made my own single needle outliner tube- exactly the way I used to, and it's still the best design- the commercial ones all seem too loose/big... Sorry for rant, but you and other readers may be interested to learn a bit about how we used to do things, before the information age, and the age of Ebay and such commercial availability! Cheers, Justin.
Hi, yes the internet has changed everything. I am 60 and in the days we had to learn by ourselves with trial and error. But now it is like living in our own personal library of information It is so good and confirms what we try to do. Thank you, Martin.
So about the springs? Two questions there's a measurement on some springs how do those measurements relate to liner or shader, or color packer. And some machines have a rear and front spring while others have o e long spring mounted the whole way, is there a precision difference or tuning specification for two springs vs one? Thanks for the video, packed full of good information!
That's a hard one to answer. It depends on a lot, like is the spring long enough and how hard is the spring. There is no such thing as a liner and shader in one machine, just a machine in the middle. They have different coils, springs, etc. In reality, you can do both if you are good with tattooing with one machine. But if you need to ask the question, no you can not. I have an artist that can do both with a stick and needles tied to the end of it. But they have been doing tattoos for over ten years. Regards Martin
I have been asked to ad to my first comment, the angle of the contact screw to the spring has nothing to do with the operation of the machine but the best angle would be 90% to the spring allowing it to ware evenly other wise you would have the reshape or put a new point on it every time you adjusted the screw because of ware on one side and not the other if you look at the frames in this video the should be switched because of the longer contact screw arm belongs on the shader , other than that perfect video !
O'ring, It is used as a shock absorber and stops the screw working loose. It also stops the spring from breaking. If your are saying the armature bar does not work when you fit the o'ring. Then your gap is set wrong, i.e. to small. Start with a 2 mm gap when you hold the armature bar down on to the coils. Start Machine and see how it runs and adjust.
Hi, There is a lot of machines on the market that will do both and normally they will have about 10 wrap coils depending on what the wiring is made from. Medium spring set up etc. That's why they can do both. They normally start at $30 to $100. Anything below that is a gambal and could be a waste of money. If you buy more expensive machines then they will not do both. They will do just one or the other. Regards Martin
If you’re going to be serious in tattooing you need to buy a set. The geometry of every frame depicts what that machine is made for. Lining, shader, color packer. Also coils and caps are important. One machine isn’t the greatest of ideas
Yes you are correct but in the real world of tattooing I have some of the best tattooist in the world working for me and they make amazing tattoos with a stick and needles stuck on the end. They are also faster than a machine tattooist. I here many times a craftsman is only as good as his/her tools. A true statement but look at what can be done with say! wood, water, copper chisels, paper, stone and manpower, end result, big F.off pyramids in Egypt. What I am saying is work hard, learn hard and you will produce beautiful work. Regards Martin
The purpose of the capacitor is to add a little extra current when the front spring breaks contact, and to account for any slight loss of power from the DC supply
jakenbaked87 hi, the purpose of the capacitor is keep voltage / power at a constant. when the contact is made and the coils energised there would be a drop in current and voltage due to a lack in flow due to residance in wire length. The capacitors job is to supply the extra power that is needed. Smooth out and allow coils to max out in an instant. Therefore when the contacts break there is very little power being drawn and the result is no sparking at the contacts. If there was no capacitor or faulty or wired up wrong with positive or negative depending on type of capacitor there will be visual sparks due to a large current still being drawn when contacts break. This will lead to contact burn out and you will be adjusting your contact gap all the time. regards martin
Yes, you are correct about the flow of voltage and current. The capacitors job is to smooth that out so you don't get dips in the flow due to resistance of materials. This happens on contact, not when breaking contact. If the capacitor fails you will notice a spark being produced when breaking contact and the reason for that is the coils are still sucking up energy in a large amount due to the capacitor not supplying any. Therefore the coils take too long to fully charge up before breaking contact. The spark indicates failed capacitor or fitted wrong i.e. there are two types of capacitor, by-directional and directional. The first one does not matter which way you fit it but the second has to be positive and negative correct or will not work. Regards Martin
jakenbaked87 i thought they recharge the coils and brake down the power so it can be equally distribute though out the coils. i thought its more like a alternator
Hi, the capacitors are very small and cannot meet the demand of the coils power requirements. What they can do is top up the dip in voltage on contact, i.e if you put 8 volts in and it drops to 5 volts on contact without a capacitor fitted. Then the power delivery will be reduced. The capacitor job is to keep it at 8 volts. Volts equals force of flow. That means voltage push the amps down the cables so the coils can get full power. So if there is a dip in volts then the coils do not get all the power they need to be fully charged when contact breaks. If the coils are still drawing amps = power on breaking contact, then a spark is created and this will result in burnt out spring connector and contact screw tip, burning away. That means you will be constantly adjusting the gap.
Amazing video,but it's just me or there is a little mistake, the shader is 30 degrees angel and the liner 45. (As I see in the picture..) The opposite of what have been told..
This is the best explanation of parts and use of them I have seen yet ! If your a beginner and need machine info watching this video is a must
This was an awesome video! Probably one of the best I’ve seen to explain the the components of a tattoo machine and their functions.
Hi Martin. I've just now found this video, and wish I had had this kind of explanation 25-30 years ago, when I first learned to build my first guns. Back then we had no internet, all I had to go on was a single library book with a large, two page photo of a professional coil gun, and a copy of the original patent, from about the 1910's or thereabouts! I could not understand the circuitry, nor what the purpose of the capacitor was, and so I improvised. My first guns ran on Alternating Current- supplied by a tv transformer at about 15volt, 50 Hz. This translated to 3000 beats per minute, and I found that this was the ideal speed to make a solid line, without cutting the skin. The guns themselves consisted of a single winding noise reduction coil for a car stereo, (back in the days of distributor and coil ignition) mounted in a homemade frame, the spring was stainless cut and shaped from a washing machine bowl, and the binder post and contact screw simply adjusted the throw of the steel armature bar! In all, it was a reliable setup, the only failures I had were the occasional snapped spring. I made my own clipcords from a spring, some bits of plastic from an ice cream lid, some stiff wire, and a couple of small screws! My foot pedal was from a sewing machine, and my needle bars were stainless fishing trace wire, shaped with pliers!! My tubes/nozzles were stainless tube, about 8mm diameter, shaped in one piece with a kilometrico pen tip soldered into the tip (ball removed, and smoothed over, so they glided smoothly). With this setup, I could use a single beading needle to do some lovely lines.
As I say, they were very reliable machines, and I could outline and shade with them, they were a great middle-of-the-road setup.
I had initially tried making rotary guns, running variable DC, but I found that the sideways motion from the eye end translated to the tip of the needle, with the result that I could not get my lines thin enough. I concluded that I needed the controlled linear motion of a coil setup, to do away with this wobbling, and it worked!
This brings me to my question- why do we still use DC to power coil guns? Is it because the current can be adjusted easier, is it just tradition, or application, or what? And also, does the shape of the coil make any difference to the action- i.e; length to diameter ratio? Most of the coils I see nowadays look similar- has experimentation over the years settled upon a particular coil size that compromises between power and overall size of the gun... obviously the more compact the gun, the less fatiguing it is to use. Because of the square-form coil I used in those early guns, they were a bit on the heavy side, but I just got used to it. I guess it gave me a sense of robustness...
I have one of those sets of chinese guns now, (I'm getting back into tattooing a bit), but I'm not 100% happy with them- I've got a bit to learn about getting them optimized- out of 3 guns, there's only one I like, and it's the one I use the most- it just seems smooth and consistent. But again, I have made my own single needle outliner tube- exactly the way I used to, and it's still the best design- the commercial ones all seem too loose/big...
Sorry for rant, but you and other readers may be interested to learn a bit about how we used to do things, before the information age, and the age of Ebay and such commercial availability! Cheers, Justin.
Hi, yes the internet has changed everything. I am 60 and in the days we had to learn by ourselves with trial and error. But now it is like living in our own personal library of information It is so good and confirms what we try to do. Thank you, Martin.
A gun🤔
excellent video
Thank you so much and very well explained sir !!!! so relevant even after 5 years :)
Very excellent on explaining the difference of a shader n liner... "Thanks very much"!!!
So about the springs? Two questions there's a measurement on some springs how do those measurements relate to liner or shader, or color packer. And some machines have a rear and front spring while others have o e long spring mounted the whole way, is there a precision difference or tuning specification for two springs vs one? Thanks for the video, packed full of good information!
When you have a Liner/shader machine. Do i have to change the angel of the screw when i wanna switch between shade and lining?
That's a hard one to answer. It depends on a lot, like is the spring long enough and how hard is the spring. There is no such thing as a liner and shader in one machine, just a machine in the middle. They have different coils, springs, etc. In reality, you can do both if you are good with tattooing with one machine. But if you need to ask the question, no you can not. I have an artist that can do both with a stick and needles tied to the end of it. But they have been doing tattoos for over ten years. Regards Martin
A melhor expe mais completa explicação que vi até agora. Obrigada
Good information.. im rebuilding my machines TODAY
Im trying to set my machine up for shading but I'm not sure i got it right
Wow. Awesome work !
Very helpful
so can i do line work with shader?
Great vid, very clear and no waffle.
I have been asked to ad to my first comment, the angle of the contact screw to the spring has nothing to do with the operation of the machine but the best angle would be 90% to the spring allowing it to ware evenly other wise you would have the reshape or put a new point on it every time you adjusted the screw because of ware on one side and not the other if you look at the frames in this video the should be switched because of the longer contact screw arm belongs on the shader , other than that perfect video !
why does the o ring on my tattoo machine prevent the armatuar bar frome moving?
O'ring, It is used as a shock absorber and stops the screw working loose. It also stops the spring from breaking. If your are saying the armature bar does not work when you fit the o'ring. Then your gap is set wrong, i.e. to small. Start with a 2 mm gap when you hold the armature bar down on to the coils. Start Machine and see how it runs and adjust.
It acts as a damper or we should say shock absorber.
perfect explanation :)
new subs .
Can you explain what size spring length wise a liner would take and a Shader would take and a color Packer would take and would they be 18 or 20
Shorter springs for liner and longer for shader. Then it is up to the artist what they prefer.
very well explained thanks for the video pal.
Dimes? Nickles? Anyone here know what thickness these are in mm please? We don't use these in my country.
Haha come on Google it.
What brand of gun is the first gun it talk about
Extremely helpful thank you!
Good video
Thanks for the video..so helpful
Thank you sir.
how mach ? mrr
Really helpful video, thanks. :)
if I'm going to buy one machine for both lining & shading which one is better for both liner machine or shading machine ?
Hi, There is a lot of machines on the market that will do both and normally they will have about 10 wrap coils depending on what the wiring is made from. Medium spring set up etc. That's why they can do both. They normally start at $30 to $100. Anything below that is a gambal and could be a waste of money. If you buy more expensive machines then they will not do both. They will do just one or the other. Regards Martin
If you’re going to be serious in tattooing you need to buy a set. The geometry of every frame depicts what that machine is made for. Lining, shader, color packer. Also coils and caps are important. One machine isn’t the greatest of ideas
Yes you are correct but in the real world of tattooing I have some of the best tattooist in the world working for me and they make amazing tattoos with a stick and needles stuck on the end. They are also faster than a machine tattooist. I here many times a craftsman is only as good as his/her tools. A true statement but look at what can be done with say! wood, water, copper chisels, paper, stone and manpower, end result, big F.off pyramids in Egypt. What I am saying is work hard, learn hard and you will produce beautiful work. Regards Martin
The purpose of the capacitor is to add a little extra current when the front spring breaks contact, and to account for any slight loss of power from the DC supply
jakenbaked87 hi, the purpose of the capacitor is keep voltage / power at a constant. when the contact is made and the coils energised there would be a drop in current and voltage due to a lack in flow due to residance in wire length. The capacitors job is to supply the extra power that is needed. Smooth out and allow coils to max out in an instant. Therefore when the contacts break there is very little power being drawn and the result is no sparking at the contacts. If there was no capacitor or faulty or wired up wrong with positive or negative depending on type of capacitor there will be visual sparks due to a large current still being drawn when contacts break. This will lead to contact burn out and you will be adjusting your contact gap all the time. regards martin
Bangkok Ink Tattoo Studio
Yes, you are correct about the flow of voltage and current. The capacitors job is to smooth that out so you don't get dips in the flow due to resistance of materials. This happens on contact, not when breaking contact. If the capacitor fails you will notice a spark being produced when breaking contact and the reason for that is the coils are still sucking up energy in a large amount due to the capacitor not supplying any. Therefore the coils take too long to fully charge up before breaking contact. The spark indicates failed capacitor or fitted wrong i.e. there are two types of capacitor, by-directional and directional. The first one does not matter which way you fit it but the second has to be positive and negative correct or will not work. Regards Martin
jakenbaked87 i thought they recharge the coils and brake down the power so it can be equally distribute though out the coils. i thought its more like a alternator
Hi, the capacitors are very small and cannot meet the demand of the coils power requirements. What they can do is top up the dip in voltage on contact, i.e if you put 8 volts in and it drops to 5 volts on contact without a capacitor fitted. Then the power delivery will be reduced. The capacitor job is to keep it at 8 volts. Volts equals force of flow. That means voltage push the amps down the cables so the coils can get full power. So if there is a dip in volts then the coils do not get all the power they need to be fully charged when contact breaks. If the coils are still drawing amps = power on breaking contact, then a spark is created and this will result in burnt out spring connector and contact screw tip, burning away. That means you will be constantly adjusting the gap.
very educational
Amazing video,but it's just me or there is a little mistake, the shader is 30 degrees angel and the liner 45. (As I see in the picture..)
The opposite of what have been told..
Hi, I would recommend you watch it again and please tell me at what stage i.e. time line you see that. Regards Martin
7:28 ?
Just what I was looking for.
this is what im am looking for ;) .
PERFECT vid
Thank you sir!!!
Thank you .
Is this a HUMAN or a ROBOT? I’ve watched all his videos and so should you...then 👨⚖️ judge...🍭🍭
You spelt explanation wrong in your title.
Thank you for that. I am dexlexet and so shit at spelling hahah
really hard to watch...
This is stolen